9 minute read
District 7 Report
Mae Swan maeswan@gmail.com
Regions Represented: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire & Vermont
TidBits Virtual Convention ............
Be sure to groom and prepare your animal for the Virtual Show just like you would for a regular in person show. District 7 Report
What a summer we have had! In many parts of District 7 we experienced a hotter and more humid season than usual. Yesterday I watched a clip from a local weatherman discussing this, explaining how coastal Maine usually reaches +90° an average of 5 times a year. As of this writing they had experienced 10 days of hot, muggy weather. This, of course, requires a little more effort from us rabbit enthusiasts to ensure our animals remain as cool and safe as possible.
In 4 to 8 weeks our focus in care will be completely different; we’ll have switched from offering our rabbits frozen water bottles and fans to keep cool and instead be looking towards the colder months ahead. By October my barn, as with so many others, will have gone through its fall deep cleaning (pulling out all cages, burning/pressure washing them, replacing and repairing cages as necessary, and scrubbing trays, bowls and toys). I’ll be inspecting bowls in storage for cracks and switching everyone over to these bowls from their water bottles.
Getting these chores done will be a little easier because much of my free time will not be taken up by preparing for and attending shows. But the downside is: there have been few to no shows to prepare for and attend. While many claim shows are primarily a social event for them, this became even more apparent once our events were put on hold. Yes, most of us have a competitive nature to varying degrees and winning can be satisfying, but shows are a place where people of many different backgrounds, philosophical viewpoints, and goals can come together with a common interest, forming strong bonds and friendships. I know there are quite a few of us missing this social aspect to showing right now.
With that context, it was wonderful to hear about NY’s first show since March, a collection of specialty shows (including Jersey Wooly) held on August 8th. (Side note: MAJOR CONGRATS to Cody for 2 BOB wins! From what I heard, this show had some amazing breeders putting up gorgeous animals and I suspect competition was stiff) Show A: Judge Donna Grimm
BOSB - Steven Buell & Connie Forward with Wendover’s AW1 self (REW SR Doe) Show B: Judge Kyle Yacobucci
BOSB - Christy & Katrina Przybylowski with 3Bears’ 3B10 Seal The Deal (Shaded SR Doe) (Photo) L to R: Connie Forward, Steven Buell, Christy Przybykowski, Michelle Landis Photo Credit: Steven Buell
D7 Wins
AFB’s Marshmallow BOB both shows, owned by Cody Landis
Connie Forward, Steven Buell, Christy Przybylowski & Michelle Landis
Judge Kyle Yacobucci
Judging Judge Stacy Gronckj
Julie Aversa jtaversa@gmail.com
Regions Represented: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Manitoba & Ontario
TidBits Virtual Convention . . .
The situation is not ideal, but the ARBA and MARCS are doing their best to make this an enjoyable event for everyone. District 8 Report
“I want to thank everyone that donated and participated in our online auction. I had a blast, and it turned out great for our club.” ~Julie Aversa
Unfortunately, the reality of the world right now means no shows for our rabbitry. With limited shows it is hard times for everyone. Virtual shows and convention have become the norm at the moment. What do we do with our bunnies? Participating in virtual can be fun, but, I unfortunately can not take a picture to save my life.
So, what can we do? Re-assess your breeding goals. Take a good look at your herd and decide on what needs to be worked on. Try some new breedings. Reach out to other breeders you enjoy seeing at a show. Try to share some knowledge with a new breeder. Really delve into the SOP and compare your herd to it. Research Biosecurity and prepare your rabbitry for when RHD comes closer to our district so that you are prepared.
What to do with those babies in the nest box? Try to start a few new people in the hobby. We have a closed rabbitry . What does that mean? No one besides us are allowed into our barn. It is part of our biosecurity. We have a footbath for at the door and a disinfectant to clean with. We can and do meet people at an agreed upon place and keep a safe social distance to meet about rabbits. I just recently visited a rabbit friend out of state while I was visiting my daughter. It was really fun to feel and talk rabbits again. My goal is to get better at taking photos and swapping photos of rabbits to discuss. The best part of this hobby for me is the kits in the nest box and the people that I have met along our journey. Take advantage of this time of limited shows to worm, or treat your herd. I know this is a controversial issue some people treat regularly and some only treat if there is an issue. I figure if they are gonna molt might as well treat at this time. We are going to worm and do a coccidia treatment during this down time.
Another thing is to practice palpating. It can be frustrating to wait a month to find out your doe is not bred. You can avoid this by palpating your doe at 10-14 days after breeding. Learning to palpate takes a little practice. It personally took me about a year to be able to accurately palpate. Older does can be easier to practice on as their muscles are a bit more relaxed, and they have been through this before. First time does can tense up. We also have does that hold their breath, which can make it hard to palpate. With one hand, grasp the doe over the shoulders and take the other hand with the thumb and fingers opposing each other gently push up into the abdomen just in front of the pelvis. This can feel awkward, and this is where most people fail. Enough pressure can be used to raise the doe’s hindquarters nearly off the table without hurting anything. People who fail at palpation usually do so out of fear of hurting the doe or babies. The chances of this happing at this stage is very slim. Each embryo is cushioned in its own amniotic sac, so what you are feeling is the fluid filled sac, not the embryo itself. It will feel like a blueberry at 10 days a marble at 12 days and a grape at 14 days. Once
District 8 Continued on page 20
Bill Miller rabbitcrossroads@aol.com
Regions Represented: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington DC & All Other Foreign
TidBits Virtual Convention . . .
Ask a friend or family member for help with Convention photos/videos District 9 Report
Greetings all! Covid-19 has surely change the dynamics of our lives. Usually we have vacations, fair shows, and many other events to keep us busy. It has really been a challenge to sit back and take it slow.
Due to the lack of shows and not a lot of hope for the foreseeable future, I decided to reduce the number of filled holes in the rabbitry. A good pal would often share this was always a smart idea. Ever so often, cut back to your best rabbits and breed them with the hope of strengthening your herd. I did just that. The workload has been cut in half and I have some promising babies in nestboxes.
When I started to reduce my herd, I looked at each doe’s production record. Some animals are just made to carry on and others never seem to produce anything of merit. I held on to a couple nice bucks and let the rest go. It is not an easy task. I really had a hard time making cuts. Being that I have always enjoyed caring for my animals, it might seem that I have more time to do just that. Still, I firmly believe that it might prove a worthy attempt at saving some time and tightening up the quality in the barn.
So many shows have been cancelled. I feel sad for the hard-working club members who put so much time into their show weekend. When the shows start up again, be sure to say thank you to every volunteer working for the club. Our hobby is so fortunate to have a very dedicated group of people working hard to provide us with the opportunity to show our animals. I have so many friends that I have not seen. No shows. I’m excited to get back to life as we knew it. We have been eating out at restaurants with outdoor dining. Wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and
~ Bill Miller
keeping our hands squeaky clean, we are trying to do our part to keep others safe. The virus has claimed lives, destroyed businesses, and sent folk home without a paycheck. It’s not going to magically disappear. When I think about fighting Covid-19, it reminds me of a war. I am doing my best to be patriotic and fight for my community.
I am thankful our salon is opened again and that we have very supportive clients. Some folk were not as fortunate. Businesses have closed. Consider helping out your favorite rabbit supply vendor and placing an order. With no shows, our vendors are surely suffering. I just decided to order new nestboxes and some new cage pans. Do I need them? Perhaps not right now. Still, I really wanted to support folk in our rabbit community.
Steven Buell organized two specialties for our breed and a few other breeds. Sadly, traveling into New York required a period of quarantine for Maryland folk. We were one of the States on the long list of restricted States. I was disappointed not to be able to attend the show. Steven did an awesome job. THANK YOU, Steven. Masks were required. Social distancing was required. We owe Steven a huge thank you for doing it right. I am hoping to see more shows in our area. Hopefully, we can work together to keep the show environment safe.
With cases of RHD on the rise, we should all try and keep up on what is happening. It’s going to change things for us. It is spreading. I am doing my best to follow any updates. We are all going to need to consider vaccinating our stock. There
District 9 Continued on page 20
